For those of you who have yet to visit, the clinic is up and running and looks beautiful. If you live in the Prescott area, feel free to drop in for a cup of tea and to meet Damon & Kathryn.

As winter is beginning to settle in here in Northern Arizona, it’s time to start thinking about how to stay healthy throughout the cold season. The common cold is no fun – sneezing, achy body, feeling miserable – who wants it! Even though the cold is not a major illness, it still is enough to make you feel yucky for a few days, maybe even causing you to miss work. So let us all avoid getting the common cold this year by following some easy prevention tips.

1. Good Hygiene: A very common method for transmitting the common cold is by shaking hands or touching surfaces that contain the virus. So an easy way to avoid getting the cold is by washing your hands. Ordinary soap works best – antibacterial soaps add little protection as most of the time the cold is transmitted by a virus.

2. Healthy Diet: Eating a diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants will help to keep your immune system strong and better prepared to ward off colds. Include foods such as dark colored vegetables and fruits in your diet daily. Also, be sure to add lots of colorful and warming spices, like turmeric, cayenne, garlic, and ginger (especially fresh garlic and ginger).

3. Low Stress and Active Social Life: Studies show that people who are more active in the winter and have an active social life are much less likely to get sick. Therefore, don’t let the cold and flu season keep you inside – get outside and have some fun.

4. Vitamins: It has actually now been proven that the only ones who benefit from extra vitamin C in the winter are children: it decreases their chance for getting ill with its antioxidant power. It will still help adults though if they are starting to come down with something, it just doesn’t help prevent sickness. Vitamin D may be a good addition and will boost your immune system, especially if you are deficient.

5. Hydrotherapy: A fun and easy tip to improve your chance of avoiding colds and flu during this season: end all of your showers in cool water. I say fun because it is suppose to be cold enough to make you sing ☺. Rinsing your body for 30 seconds every day in cold water not only boosts your immune system, it also gives you increased energy and vitality.

If you would like more tips to keep you healthy this season, visit our website at: www.sageshealingcenter.com or make an appointment with us for more personalized ideas.

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Because Halloween is just around the corner, here is a little information and a ghoulishly delicious recipe using your favorite vampire repellent.

Garlic For The Soul

Anyone who has ever eaten a raw garlic clove knows the power of this medicine. The stuff within garlic that gives you the stinky breathe is called allicin, its most potent chemical component. Allicin contains a sulfur compound, which may cause you to be unpopular to kiss, but makes it very potent medicine. In fact, it can protect you from getting high blood pressure, diabetes and liver disease. Garlic also reduces inflammation in your body and protects you from infections. Excuse me if I go on and on about this herb, but really I hope you will get the point garlic really is amazing.

Garlic is especially known as an herb for your entire cardiovascular system – your arteries, veins, capillaries and heart. When taken daily, it can reduce the plaque that builds up on your blood vessels, allowing more blood to your hands and feet and reducing your overall blood pressure. It does this by strengthening your blood vessel walls, decreasing your LDL -“bad”- cholesterol, the guy who deposits buildup on your vessels and increasing your HDL –“good”- cholesterol, the guy who takes the buildup back from your vessels to your liver so it can be destroyed. It also decreases your overall triglyceride levels, reducing your overall risk of heart disease.

Garlic is a very powerful immune booster. It is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Therefore, it can take care of almost any bug or overgrowth you get! It is commonly used for yeast infections but can be used for so much more including any kind of upper respiratory issue (bronchitis, colds, flu, sinus infections, etc) or gastrointestinal issues (ulcers, parasites) and more.

Garlic also protects you from Type 2 diabetes or can be a great help for someone already diagnosed with diabetes because it helps reduce sugar in the blood. Less sugar causes less insulin to be released, therefore allowing your cells to better process the sugar that is already there. It should be used under the supervision of a physician if you have “brittle diabetes” or easily become hypoglycemic.

There are a few other people who should be careful with garlic, such as those with acute inflammation, insomnia, dehydration, organ transplants or if you are taking an anticoagulant. It also should not be used by people who have a hot constitution – a red face, sweat easily, feel warm to touch, prone to headaches and anger easily, etc.

To be honest, the best way to take it is to shoot it straight up, raw and in all of its glory, 1-2 cloves/day. However, I know that many people may have issues (such as you want to still have friends) so therefore try to use it in your cooking whenever possible, but keep it as raw as you can. There are also supplements that are available from naturopathic physicians and some health food markets – try to take these only under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.

DAIRYFREE GARLIC PESTO: By Jill Stansbury, ND

Pesto traditionally contains parmesan cheese and is an excellent complementing flavor when desired. In order to make a pesto of medicinal quality the following recipe without dairy products will work. The traditional recipe also uses fresh basil. Wonderful pestos may be made from other fresh herbs including cilantro, mint, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, and arugula.

Peel all of the individual cloves in 3-5 full bulbs of garlic and place in a food processor.

Tear 5 large handfuls of Basil into the food processor.

Cover with olive or flax oil and puree.

Add 1 cup of pine nuts and blend again.

Use as a spread on toast or cracker, on pasta, and to make salad dressings and sauces.

Store in the refrigerator.